The network's original statement is very positive about Frank. "[His] contributions to the success of The Walking Dead are innumerable," it read, while suggesting that he may still have some "ongoing role with the series".

Reports at the time suggested that filmmaker Darabont "never quite adjusted to the daily grind of producing a TV series" – but there was to be a twist in the tale...

The whole affair appeared to have gone quiet, until Darabont – who was promoting his new TV venture, 2013 series Mob City – ripped into AMC in an interview with Variety.

"There's a deep commitment and emotional investment that happens when you create something that is very near and dear to you," he said of The Walking Dead.

"When that is torn asunder by sociopaths who don't give a shit about your feelings or the feelings of your cast and crew because they have their own reasons to screw everybody, that doesn't feel good."

Wow.

February 2014: Darabont lawyers up and AMC hit back

Three months later and things got serious, with Darabont filing a lawsuit against AMC on February 20, 2014.

The suit alleged that he and his representatives Creative Artists Agency are owed "tens of millions of dollars" from the series.

AMC were quick to respond, insisting that no money was owed and that the "baseless" lawsuit was "built on claims that have no merit."

In May, the cabler issued a follow-up letter to an NY Supreme Court judge, suggesting that Darabont's lawyers were on a "fishing expedition... to obtain access to highly sensitive proprietary and confidential information that bears no relevance" to their claims.

He claims that in addition to cutting budgets, AMC later "concocted" reasons to fire him, breaching his contract and denying him tens of millions of dollars in profit from the success of The Walking Dead.

His allegations? Well, there are two: first, that AMC didn't pay him enough for his work on season two – Frank says that even though he was fired midway through production, his creative influence continued to shape the show.

His second argument is rather more complex: that AMC licensed The Walking Dead to a local broadcaster owned by the company (ie a "network affiliate") for too little money, thereby denying Darabont profits he feels he deserves.